Foundation for Information Policy Research

Foundation for Information Policy Research
Name	Foundation for Information Policy Research
Formation	1998
Type	Think tank
Headquarters	London
Founders	Jimmy Wales, Danny O'Brien, Terry Fisher
Focus	Information policy, privacy, surveillance, digital rights

Foundation for Information Policy Research is a London-based think tank known for research on digital rights, privacy, surveillance and information policy. It operates in the context of debates involving Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May and institutions such as European Commission, European Parliament, United Nations and Council of Europe. The organisation has engaged with actors including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Open Rights Group and Reporters Without Borders.

History

The organisation was established in 1998 amid policy debates that featured figures like Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Margaret Thatcher and events such as the World Wide Web Consortium initiatives, the Wired era and the expansion of Internet Society networks. Early activity intersected with inquiries led by UK Home Office, responses to legislation like the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, commentary on rulings from the European Court of Human Rights, and discussions involving Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The organisation’s timeline includes contributions during crises associated with Edward Snowden, controversies around PRISM (surveillance program), and policy responses influenced by reports from Privacy International and panels convened by Royal Society.

Mission and Objectives

The foundation’s stated purpose aligns with the agendas of advocacy groups such as Access Now, Center for Democracy & Technology, Liberty (UK civil liberties organisation), and research institutions like Oxford Internet Institute, Berkman Klein Center, Information Commissioner's Office. Objectives include informing debates on legislation akin to Investigatory Powers Act 2016, advising stakeholders comparable to National Cyber Security Centre (UK), and engaging with standards bodies including International Organization for Standardization, Internet Engineering Task Force and World Wide Web Consortium. It positions itself alongside academic departments at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, and think tanks such as Chatham House and Institute for Public Policy Research.

Research and Publications

Research outputs have been cited by entities like House of Commons (UK), House of Lords (UK), European Court of Justice, and media outlets such as The Guardian, The Times, BBC News, The New York Times and The Washington Post. The foundation has produced reports, briefings and working papers on topics intersecting with cases involving Apple Inc., Google LLC, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon (company) and policy debates tied to laws like the Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation. Its publications have engaged with scholarly works from Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and citations in journals comparable to Nature, Science, New Media & Society and Journal of Cyber Policy.

Funding and Governance

Funding sources have included philanthropic foundations similar to Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and institutional grants from bodies like European Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, and trusts affiliated with Wellcome Trust. Governance structures involve boards and advisory panels composed of individuals associated with University College London, King's College London, Goldsmiths, University of London, and international scholars who have connections to institutions such as Yale University, Columbia University, Princeton University and University of California, Berkeley.

Policy Impact and Advocacy

The foundation’s work has informed parliamentary inquiries, regulatory deliberations at the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), submissions to consultations by European Data Protection Board, and interventions in litigation related to corporations like BT Group, Vodafone, EE Limited and state surveillance controversies involving agencies such as Government Communications Headquarters and National Security Agency. It has engaged in public campaigns in concert with Big Brother Watch, Privacy International, Open Society Justice Initiative and contributed expertise referenced during debates referencing directives like the ePrivacy Directive and instruments connected to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborations span academic partnerships with University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester, Queen Mary University of London and research projects funded in consortium with organisations including RAND Corporation, Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations and civic technology groups such as MySociety, Mozilla Foundation, Wikimedia Foundation and Creative Commons. International cooperation has involved networks linked to International Association of Privacy Professionals, Global Network Initiative and specialist centres such as Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Berggruen Institute.

Category:Think tanks based in the United Kingdom Category:Privacy advocacy organizations